It is all about autumn

Autumn is here and in full swing, which means the new planting season has arrived.

Since the seasons are changing, so too should your garden.

It is time to remove the last of the summer flowers and plant your winter annuals.

There is so much to choose from in the autumn and winter range that your garden can only be stunning throughout winter and into spring.

Bulbs, seeds and bedding plants are all planted now and the selection is even bigger that it is in spring.

The first real cold is a few weeks away yet, so the warmer weather is perfect to help the young seedlings of veggies and bedding plants to establish before the cold slows them down.

Getting into the garden

What we love is the start of the cleanup.

Just getting into the garden and sorting out the last of the summer annuals, sowing some seeds and getting the hands dirty is a tonic.

A light trim on some overhanging shrubs to let some light in also instantly tidies up the garden.

Leaves are nature’s bounty this time of the year, so packing them into the back of the beds to act as mulch or to the compost bin is also a satisfying job.

There are a number of shrubs that look their best this time of the year, coming into flowers as the temperatures drop or changing leaf colour not just to fall, but as evergreens with intense colouring throughout the winter.

The nostalgic Camellias take us back to the gardens of the romantics with the beautiful blooms in full flower throughout a time of the year when many plants look faded.

The Sasanqua varieties are already flowering, while the rest are covered in fat buds.

Camellias grow in semi-shade to morning sun, perfect for a small cluster or townhouse garden. Use them as a screen or as a solid background shrub.

Camellias can also be clipped to shape and give an evergreen structure to the garden or in containers.

Now is the best time to plant your winter colour. As temperatures start to drop, the growth will slow down. If you plant now, your young seedlings establish faster and you get even more colour throughout the winter. Pansies are always a favourite in full sun for winter and Primulas in shade give waves of colour.

Autumn is also nature’s time of sowing seeds, so we can add to the colour by experimenting with all the indigenous seeds. Bedding plants need a lot less attention in winter, provided they get planted into soil that is well prepared.

Grow the best – Conifers

Conifers are popular in the contemporary landscape as they are able to serve so many functions.

Conifers add permanence to the garden and besides their evergreen winter colouring, there are many that can be clipped into hedges and topiaries.

With gardens becoming smaller and the tendency to build multi-storey homes, conifers make the most stunning space-saving hedges and screens.

Conifers are one of the easiest plants to care for and they also do well in containers. They are cost- effective and ideal for low-maintenance gardening.

Most are slow growing and form a lasting part of the skeleton of the garden.